In the Name of
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: Yami Marik's coven of witches is allpowerful. He asks his top witch, Jocasta real name Jillian, codename Starscream to marry him. Someone, though, is planning a betrayal. And that person has signed their soul to evil. And this evil's name is Towari.
1. In the Name of Evil

Chapter 1: In the Name of Evil

Yami Marik entered his throne room. The room filled with his followers, the ones who despised good as much as he did. The witches, the beautiful spellcasters he called his own. _His_ evildoers, _his_ cohorts, who gathered every Saturday in his name. In the name of evil.

"My witches!" He threw off his purple cloak, slumping down on his throne. "Are there any new recruits, Jocasta?"

"Yes, three," the young woman, his second-in-command in case he should fall ill, answered, stepping forward. She swept her arm to three lovely young ladies, one with blonde hair and green eyes, the second with white hair and blue violet eyes, and the last with thick black hair and yellow eyes-- not gold, yellow, like a cat's eyes. "They are Julie, Brittany, and Alex."

"Their coven names are-- Jupiter, Bronach, and Ankh. Give them their robes. While Jocasta is doing that, everyone else-- disrobe and proceed with the kiss of death; the last four to do it will be Jocasta, Jupiter, Bronach, and Ankh."

Yami Marik had 42 followers, now 45 because of Jupiter, Bronach, and Ankh, and they were all female. Every time they gathered, each one kissed him on the lips after they disrobed, and he crushed a white mistletoe berry, which were poisonous to humans and could cause death if the juice entered the body (which was why he never did the kiss when he had a cut on one of the fingers he used to crush the berry because he didn't want to risk it getting inside him and killing him), on the particular witch's forehead as she did. As soon as one of them broke the kiss and the juice of the berry began to run down the witch's face, she had to hurry and wipe it off before it reached her lips. That's why it was called the kiss of death. Each woman or girl who performed it, which they had to or they were no longer his follower, put herself on a gamble with life or death to show that she would always serve him and be loyal.

His followers' coven names were Adrie, Arieda, Biliku, Cellineu, Coise, Dairine, Dyrus, Eira, Eviela, Fancy, Grizelda, Hynn, Inanna, Indrani, Jocasta (of course, she was his top witch), Kora, Kerena, Laurelle, Lyra, Madonna, Malvina, Malika, Nita, Nathalya, Oralie, Petra, Portia, Quill, Queenie, Rati, Romy, Silkee, Stormy, Tempest, Thunderstorm, Tacita, Ursula, Venus, Wendy, Xaviera, Yasmin, and Zula. He'd chosen their coven names carefully based on their given names. Their given names were Adrienne, Arielle, Brigitte, Celine, Corinna, Daisy, Dolly, Elle, Evie (AKA Evelyn was her full given name), Fanny, Gretchen, Hylda, Ichigo, Ionia, Jillian (Jocasta's given name), Kira, Karen, Laurie, Lynn, Mari, Mallory, Malta, Ninette, Nana, Ophelia, Peta, Porscha (he'd spelled it alternately so it looked more solemn and dark), Quinn, Qien, Ralli, Riley, Sine, Sunny, Tammi, Tracey, Uma, Verity, Wilhelmina, Xell, Yvonne, and Zinnia.

They also had codenames. They were for if they went on a mission. They were too tedious to list all in one place, but Jocasta's codename was Starscream.

"Have we any missions to complete today, Jocasta?" Yami Marik asked after all the coven members, Jocasta included, had performed the kiss of death.

"No, my liege," Jocasta answered in a bored voice, which she sometimes had during coven meetings when they didn't do anything.

"Well-- then, I suppose, just put the music on and dance."

Jocasta pressed the play button on the stereo, and dark Evanescence music blasted from the speakers, the lead singer Amy Lee rocking out.

"_Perfect by nature_

_Icons of self-indulgence_

_Just what we all need_

_More lies about a world that_

"_Never was and never will be_

_Have you no shame?_

_Don't you see me?_

_And you know you've got everybody fooled_

"_Look, here she comes now_

_Bow down and stare in wonder_

_Oh, how we love you_

_No flaws when you're pretending_

"_But now I_

_Know she_

"_Never was and never will be_

_You don't know_

_How you've betrayed me_

_And somehow you've got everybody fooled_

"_Without the mask_

_Where will you hide?_

_Can't find yourself_

_Lost in your lies_

"_I know the truth now_

_I know who you are_

_And I don't love you_

_Anymore_

"_It never was and never will be_

_You don't know_

_How you've betrayed me_

_And somehow you've got everybody fooled_

"_Never was and never will be_

_You're not real_

_And you can't save me_

_And somehow now you're everybody's fool_."

Jocasta stood by Yami Marik's throne as the music played, watching the other witches twirl around the dance floor. Yami Marik looked at her. "Jocasta, why aren't you dancing?" he asked, rather concerned for her. After all, she was his second-in-command. And it wasn't like her to sit by and not dance.

"No reason, really," she answerd, looking and sounding tired.

"Really?"

"I'm just not in the mood to dance today."

"Ah." He fingered her long, thick black locks. "Why, are you getting sick?"

"No. Listen, d'you mind if I step outside for a moment? I need some air."

"Go ahead."

Yami Marik looked out over his coven. Suddenly, Dairine rushed up to him. "My liege, I am sorry to bother you, but Portia and Grizelda are having a spell fight in the bathroom again!" she cried.

"What about _this_ time, Dairine?"

"From what I understand, Portia was washing her hands, when Grizelda came in and called her an ugly hag, and instantly Portia erupted in anger and fired off a spell!" Dairine was talking fast-- she _was_ the one who upset easily. "Now, there are toads covering one half of the bathroom, and the other half is splattered with snakes made of spaghetti!"

"I'll take care of it, then."

He opened the door to the bathroom. "PORTIA, GRIZELDA!!!" he roared at the two young women. "CEASE AND DESIST!!!!!"

Portia dropped her pale hand to her side. She'd been about to cast another spell. Grizelda did the same.

"Girls," Yami Marik growled. He glared at the room, which was a mess. "Was this your doing?"

"Yes, sir," the witches replied, looking down shamefully to avoid their master's lavender-eyed gaze.

"You two will clean this up." He turned, his cape sweeping around him in a sinister fashion. "With_out_ magic, and you better either find homes for all these toads or dump them into the lake."

"Yes, Master."

Yami Marik walked back out and saw that Jocasta was back inside, sitting quietly at a table, drinking red wine, reading _Queen of the Damned_ by Anne Rice. He sat down beside her, sliding into the next seat, and put an arm around her. "Hi, Jocasta."

"Hello, Master."

"What cha readin'?"

"_Queen of the Damned_."

"You know, that phrase could have potential to apply to you as well, _Jillian_."

"Okay, I'll bite." Jocasta closed the book, marking her page, and faced him. "What the hell are you talking about, and why are you using my real name?"

Yami Marik took out a box, and opened it. Inside was a diamond ring, which he presented to Jocasta. "Jillian, if you agree to marry me, you will no longer be Jocasta, coven member. You will be Jocasta, my mistress, the queen of the damned, princess of the witches. What do you say, Jillian? Will you be my spellcasting witch bride?"

Jocasta looked down. "I am not sure. I will get back to you with my answer at our next gathering, my master."

"Alright, no rush."


	2. In the Name of Jillian

Chapter 2: In the Name of Jillian

21-year-old Jillian Burkowitz ran home, feet thudding on the pavement, after a two-hour meeting with the witch coven. Her stomach was swirling inside; someone-- no, not just someone, her _master_-- asked her to _marry_ him. She ran inside her house, flopped on her bed, and breathed deeply to calm herself. "Okay... think, Jillian, think. Do you want to marry that man, your leader?"

She almost wanted to call out, "Mom, Dad!" and discuss it with them, then make her decision. But she knew she couldn't do that. Her parents had been killed in 9/11/01 in America, when she was 15. Her heart still hurt, and she wished Osama bin Laden would just go to hell, which he probably would anyway, and that was why she joined Yami Marik's coven. She thought it would help her get revenge on the terrorists who shoved her life into turmoil and devastated her home of New York.

She looked up, hearing her name. There was a man there. Yami Marik's light side's sister, Ishizu, had told her about him, once, when Jillian had gone to get water from the museum drinking fountain to water the deadly nightshade plants they kept growing in the coven meeting house. Along with some other information, Ishizu had disclosed that the man sometimes appeared when people needed help, and that his name was Shadi. "Do as you see fit, Jillian," he said. "Say to him what your heart tells you to say, young innocent one." Then he disappeared.

"Yeah, yeah, say what my heart tells me to say." Jillian got up. "What _my_ heart tells me to say? Let me rehearse that. 'Of course I will marry you, because that will further my goal of sending Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda to the deepest regions of hell!'" She looked in the mirror. "Look at me. My name is Jillian, and this is how I look." Her long black hair extended to her knees, over which an alarmingly short black miniskirt was fitted tightly. Her black strapless tank top exposed nearly three inches of her waist, which, like the rest of her, was perfectly bronzed, as she was of African descent. She had pale powder dusted on her face, and over that, pitch black kohl heavily lined her eyes, black eyeshadow was layered solidly on her eyelids, and Kiss Me Charcoal lipstick was painted onto her thin lips, making t-

hem look much fuller. Her body was decorated with chains and piercings-- silver and gold literally draped her. Chain belt, five piercings in each ear, a lip piercing, an eyebrow piercing, a tongue piercing, and several piercings on her navel, plus several assorted chains. Yeah, she was a Gothic chick. It was how she dealt with the pain in her heart.

Her mother's words came echoing back to her. "_No matter what anyone says, or tells you to do, look to yourself-- only you can decide what's right and how to live your life_." She sighed. "Yeah. Pretty words, Mom. Too bad you're not here to tell me that now. Damn terrorists. I _hate_ them."

There was a knock on the door. "Jillian! May I come in?"

It was Ishizu's voice. Jillian sat down. "Yeah, come in, Ishizu."

Ishizu walked in. "Jillian? Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

Ishizu sat down beside Jillian. "I can tell you are not alright, Jillian, and I would certainly reprimand you for lying to me, were it not for the fact I can sense something is seriously wrong. Jillian, you know you can tell me anything and I will not laugh or make fun or tell anybody." She put her arm around the younger girl. "Is there something you would like to talk to me about, Jillian?"

So the whole story spilled out of Jillian's mouth. About her parents, why she joined Yami Marik's coven, and what he'd asked her. "And I don't know what to tell him!" she cried, pressing her face into Ishizu's chest, as Ishizu gently patted her back.

"There, there, Jillian." Ishizu held the younger woman at arm's length and gave her a sympathetic glance. "Do you really like him, Jillian?"

"I don't _know_!" Jillian grabbed a tissue and wiped off her smearing make-up so she didn't get embarrassed by it. "I mean, I'm in love with him, I'm kind of turned off by him when he's being all gentle and weird and so unlike himself-- Ishizu, what _am_ I?"

Ishizu pulled Jillian close again. She rubbed the girl's back. "You are... confused," she said softly, rocking her friend side to side. She stood up. "Well, you have a week to think about it, right? Just think, as you are continuing with your daily routine, Jillian. When you have come to a decision, stick with it until Saturday and then voice it. I certainly do not approve of this little cult the forty-six of you have going. However, I do not like having my friends in pain. I know you are in pain now. I will come back next Saturday to see how things went. If you need to speak with me before then, just come to the museum. Alright, Jillian?" She smiled. "Is that, er, _cool_ with you?"

She smiled. "Yeah. That's cool, Ishizu."

"Remember, just think, Jillian. Do not let anyone influence your ideas or opinion. Stay true to your own heart, my dear, and no one else's."

"Okay. Bye, Ishizu. See you later.

"Good-bye, Jillian."

Jillian sighed after Ishizu had left. "Man. This really, completely, totally sucks. My life? Yeah, it's a mess."

A little while later, Jillian was settled in bed, reading _Queen of the Damned_. She was halfway through. She decided to stop and put the book up. It would be hard to sleep when she was scared, and the book was rather disturbing. Then again, most-- check that, _all_-- of Anne Rice's books were that way.

She covered herself, clicked the light off, and closed her eyes to sleep. She had a nightmare, but it turned out alright. She was in a sort of "fun"-house-turned-reality. It was really scary. When it was getting the most frightening, Yami Marik showed up, rescued her, knocked out all the demons and monsters that were attacking her, and carried her the way out of the fun house, protecting her from everything on the way.

After that, she stayed asleep until her alarm rang.


End file.
